A Dutch caramel apple pie keeps everything people love about a classic apple pie and makes it simpler to build. Instead of rolling out a second round of dough, you finish the pie with a buttery crumb topping that bakes into a crisp, golden lid.
Underneath, peeled and sliced apples sit in a warm blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice, and they pick up an extra layer of flavor from salted caramel sauce stirred right into the filling.
The base is an all butter crust that bakes up flaky, so every forkful has a little crunch, a little softness and plenty of caramel.
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This is the sort of dessert that earns a place on a Thanksgiving table, and it also suits a quiet weekend when you want the kitchen to smell like fall.
Plan on about 50 minutes of prep, 55 minutes in the oven and 2 hours of cooling, which comes to roughly 3 hours and 45 minutes from the first bowl to the first slice. One pie serves 10.
There are a few reasons this pie tends to disappear quickly at my family table, and none of them depend on fancy technique. It comes down to texture and layered flavor.
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The apples are tossed with cozy fall spices and baked until tender, so the filling tastes like the season without collapsing into mush.
Salted caramel sauce adds an extra layer of flavor inside the filling, and a little more spooned over the top turns a homey pie into something that feels celebratory.
The crust is an all butter crust, which bakes up tender, flavorful and flaky instead of tough or bland.
The crumble topping is far easier than fitting and sealing a top crust, and it is a crowd pleaser because it stays crisp while the filling bubbles underneath.
Put those four things together and you get a pie that looks impressive but asks for less dough handling than a double crust version.
Ingredient Overview:
The complete recipe with exact measurements and full directions is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, and the table of contents near the top of the page can take you straight to any section you need.
Apples do most of the heavy lifting here. Soft varieties such as McIntosh break down in the oven and turn soggy, so leave those for applesauce. Firm baking apples hold their shape and keep a little bite.
Apple
How it behaves in the pie
Honeycrisp
Sweet, crisp and juicy, and it carries the sweet side of the filling.
Granny Smith
Tart and firm, so it balances the sweetness of the Honeycrisp apples and the caramel.
Pink Lady
A firm baking apple that holds its shape through a long bake.
Golden Delicious
A firm baking apple that softens nicely without going watery.
McIntosh
Too soft for this pie. It turns soggy once it bakes.
A mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith is a good place to start, because the tart apples keep the sweet apples and the caramel from taking over. You need 8 cups of peeled and sliced apples, cut about 1/4 inch thick, which works out to roughly 5 to 6 large apples, or about 846 grams of slices.
Salted butter is the better choice for flavor in both the crust and the topping. If unsalted butter is what you keep on hand, it will still work, though the flavor will be a touch less pronounced. All purpose flour is all the crust needs, so there is no reason to hunt down pastry flour.
One batch of homemade salted caramel sauce does double duty here. A third of a cup goes into the apple filling, and the rest is reserved for spooning over slices at the table.
For the crust
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled or weighed out, 195 grams
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
9 tbsp cold salted butter, cubed, 127 grams
4 to 6 tbsp ice cold water
For the caramel sauce
1 cup granulated sugar, 210 grams
6 tbsp salted butter, cubed, 85 grams
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream, 135 grams
1 pinch flaky sea salt
For the filling
8 cups apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick, about 5 to 6 large apples, 846 grams of slices
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar, 70 grams
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 73 grams
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/3 cup all purpose flour, 43 grams
1/3 cup salted caramel sauce
For the topping
1 cup all purpose flour, 130 grams
1 cup old fashioned whole rolled oats, 100 grams
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 146 grams
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup cold salted butter, 113 grams
Finishing touches
1 egg, for egg wash
Coarse sugar, for topping
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
This pie is forgiving, and there are several ways to bend it to fit your kitchen or your guests.
Dairy free: the author has not made pie crust with dairy free butter sticks and recommends starting from a dedicated dairy free pie crust recipe instead. That same crust can be used when building the caramel sauce as well, and the author has been told coconut milk works as a substitute for the heavy cream.
Gluten free: for gluten free needs, the author points readers toward gluten free baking blogs and does not claim expertise in gluten free pies, so treat that as a starting point rather than a tested conversion.
Leave the caramel out of the filling: the caramel can be omitted from the filling with no other adjustments needed.
If the apples taste too tart: taste the filling before it goes into the crust and stir in 1 to 2 extra tablespoons of sugar if the apples seem sharp.
Caramel on top only: instead of stirring caramel into the filling and drizzling more over the top, save the whole batch for serving.
Classic double crust: a top crust or a lattice crust can replace the Dutch crumble topping. The bake time should be similar, but keep an eye on it, because a solid top crust browns differently than a crumb topping.
How to Make Caramel Apple Pie Step by Step:
Make the pie dough. Follow the recipe and directions in the Perfect Pie Crust post. Let the dough chill in the fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours or overnight, or place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Make the caramel. Follow the homemade salted caramel sauce recipe. You will use 1/3 cup of caramel in the apple filling, so reserve the rest for topping slices when you serve.
Roll the dough out and transfer it to the pan. Follow the steps in the Perfect Pie Crust post through step 7. Freeze the empty crust, without filling, crumble topping or egg wash, for 15 minutes before you fill and bake it. If it stays in the freezer a little longer it is fine, up to about 30 minutes, or you can move it to the fridge after 15 minutes.
Make the filling. While the dough is in the freezer, make the filling and preheat the oven to 400 F. Rinse the apples, peel, core and slice them 1/4 inch thick. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the filling ingredients except the caramel. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to get the apple juices going, and use that time to make the topping. Then stir in the caramel and set the bowl aside.
Make the Dutch crumble topping. Whisk together all the topping ingredients except the butter. Cut the cold butter into cubes and work it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until you have a crumbly mixture and every butter piece is coated in flour.
Assemble the pie. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Take the crust out of the freezer, brush the egg wash over the edges and sprinkle coarse sugar over them. Spoon the apple mixture into the crust, leaving the excess liquid behind, and it is fine if a little of that liquid makes it in. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples. Set a baking sheet on a lower rack of the oven to catch any drips.
Bake. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 400 F, checking the pie at 25 to 30 minutes to make sure the crust is not browning too quickly. If it is, use a pie shield or lay a piece of foil over the top and keep baking. The pie is done when the filling is bubbly, the topping and crust are golden brown and the apples are tender. Poke through the crumb topping with a fork if you are not sure. If it slides through the apple smoothly and easily, it is ready. If the apples do not feel tender enough, add a few more minutes at a time.
Serve and store. Let the pie cool at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before slicing. Serve it with more caramel sauce. Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Make ahead. The pie crust can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months. If you bake the pie a day or two ahead, let it cool completely, cover it with foil and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Rewarm it at 350 F, covered loosely with foil, for 12 to 20 minutes, until warmed through. An instant read thermometer pushed into the center is a good way to confirm it is warm all the way through.
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What type of pie dish should I use?
Reach for a metal or ceramic pie plate rather than a glass pan. Metal and ceramic conduct heat better, which gives you a better shot at a crisp bottom crust, and metal is the preferred choice of the two. Glass works, but it is the least likely of the three to give you that firm, snappy base.
Whichever dish you use, brush the edges of the crust with egg wash before baking. That wash is what gives the rim its deep golden color, and it also helps the coarse sugar cling to the edge. Then bake as directed in the recipe card.
How do I know when my apple pie is done?
Doneness here is a texture question more than a timer question. Push a fork through the crumb topping and into the apples. If it slides through smoothly and easily, the apples are tender and the pie is done. If there is any resistance, give it a few more minutes and test again.
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Color matters just as much. The crust should be a deep, golden tan rather than a pale, pasty shade, so bake until it has real color on it. The filling should also be visibly bubbly around the edges, which tells you the sugars and juices have come up to temperature and thickened.
A pale crust is an underbaked crust. Let it reach a deep golden tan before you pull the pie out of the oven.
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At the table, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of salted caramel sauce is the way to serve it.
Serving + Storing:
Let the pie cool at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before you slice it. That wait is worth it, because a hot filling runs across the plate and the crumb topping has not yet set.
You can also cool the pie completely, or cool it, cover it and refrigerate it overnight, then serve it cold the next day or warm it back up in the oven.
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Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days, and rewarming at 350 F for 12 to 20 minutes with a loose foil cover brings back most of the fresh baked texture.
Expert Baking Tips:
Most pie problems start before the filling ever hits the crust, so a couple of small habits pay off.
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Check your oven with a thermometer. An oven thermometer shows whether the oven is actually running at the temperature you set, since ovens can drift. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, and keeping a thermometer in the oven at all times is the easiest way to monitor its calibration.
Weigh your ingredients. A food scale is the best way to make sure ingredients are at the proper weight, because amounts vary depending on how they are measured and measuring cups are not standardized. If you spoon and level flour instead, do it carefully.
Read the pie dough post first. If you have not made pie dough before, read the Perfect Pie Crust post before you begin. It walks through the troubleshooting and helps you avoid the most common pie mistakes.
Do not fear color. Bake until the crust and topping are a deep golden brown. Pulling the pie early for a lighter look usually means an underbaked bottom crust.
Protect the edges. If the rim is browning faster than the center, a pie shield or a strip of foil over the edge solves it without slowing down the filling.
Catch the drips. A baking sheet on a lower rack saves you from scrubbing burnt caramel off the oven floor.
Special Tools:
None of this requires a drawer full of gadgets, but three tools make the process noticeably easier.
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A simple wooden rolling pin with handles. It is easy to control, and it rolls the dough to an even thickness without much effort.
A pastry cutter. This is the tool that makes cutting cold butter into flour genuinely easy. If you only buy one thing for pie making, let it be this one.
A pastry brush. A brush is how you apply the egg wash evenly across the crust edge, and that wash is how you get a nice, deep, golden brown finish.
Add a metal pie plate and a set of measuring cups or a kitchen scale, and you have everything the recipe calls for. The rest is patience, mostly the chilling and the cooling, and both are doing real work while you wait.
FAQs
What are the best apples to use for Dutch Caramel Apple Pie?
A blend of firm, tart apples like Granny Smith with sweeter, crisp varieties like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Golden Delicious is ideal. This recipe uses about 8 cups of peeled and sliced apples, which is roughly 5 to 6 large apples. Avoid soft apples like McIntosh or Red Delicious, which can turn mushy and make the filling watery.
How do you keep a Dutch apple pie from getting soggy?
To prevent a soggy crust, freeze the rolled-out pie crust in the pan for 15 minutes before filling. After tossing the sliced apples with sugar, flour, and spices, let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then spoon the apples into the crust leaving most of the accumulated liquid behind. These steps help ensure a flaky bottom crust.
How long does Dutch Caramel Apple Pie need to cool before serving?
The baked pie must cool at room temperature for at least 2 to 3 hours before slicing and serving. This cooling period allows the filling to fully set and thicken, ensuring that the pie holds its shape when cut. Serving the pie warm is fine, but it must cool first to avoid a runny filling.
Can you freeze Dutch Caramel Apple Pie?
Yes, you can freeze the unbaked pie crust separately for up to 2 months. To make the pie ahead, bake it completely, let it cool, cover it with foil, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Fully baked pie leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Dutch Caramel Apple Pie A Dutch caramel apple pie keeps everything people love about a classic apple pie and makes it simpler to build. Instead of rolling out a second round of dough, you finish the pie with a buttery crumb topping that bakes into a crisp, golden lid.
Total Time:225 min
Yield:10 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out, 195 grams 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar 9 tbsp salted butter, cold, cubed, 127 grams 4–6 tbsp water, ice cold
For the Caramel Sauce 1 cup granulated sugar, 210 grams 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed, 85 grams 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream, 135 grams 1 pinch flaky sea salt
For the Filling 8 cups apples, peeled and sliced 1/4″ thick, about 5–6 large apples – 846 grams of slices 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 70 grams 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed, 73 grams 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp allspice 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 43 grams 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce
For the Topping 1 cup all-purpose flour, 130 grams 1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats, 100 grams 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed, 146 grams 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 pinch salt 1/2 cup salted butter, cold, 113 grams
Finishing Touches 1 egg, for egg wash coarse sugar, for topping
Instructions
1-Make the pie dough: Make the pie dough: Follow the recipe and directions in my post on How to Make Perfect Pie Crust. Allow pie dough to chill in fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least two hours (or overnight) or in the freezer for 30 minutes. 2-Make the caramel: Make the caramel: Follow my Homemade Caramel Sauce recipe. You’ll use 1/3 cup of caramel in the apple filling – reserve the rest for topping pie slices when serving. 3-Roll pie dough out and transfer to: Roll pie dough out and transfer to pan: Follow the steps in my Perfect Pie Crust post through Step 7. You’ll freeze the pie crust (without the filling or crumble topping or egg wash) for 15 minutes before filling and baking. (It’s ok if it’s in the freezer longer than 15 – you can let it go up to 30 minutes, or transfer to the fridge after 15.) 4-Make the filling: Make the filling: While the dough is in the freezer, make the filling and preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse your apples, peel, core, and slice into 1/4″ thick slices. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all filling ingredients as listed above except for the caramel. Let filling sit for 10 minutes (make the topping during this time) to get the apple juices going, then stir in the caramel. Set aside. 5-Make the Dutch crumble topping: Make the Dutch crumble topping: Whisk together all topping ingredients except for the butter. Then, cut the cold butter into cubes and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, until you have a crumbly mixture, and all the butter pieces are coated in flour. 6-Assemble pie: Assemble pie: Beat the egg in a small bowl. Remove pie from freezer and brush egg wash over the edges of the crust and sprinkle raw sugar over the edges. Spoon the apple mixture into the crust, leaving the excess liquid behind (if some liquid makes it in, that’s ok). Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apple filling. Place a baking sheet on a lower rack of your oven to catch any drips from your pie. 7-Bake: Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes, checking the pie at 25-30 minutes to make sure the crust isn’t browning too quickly. If it is, use a pie shield or a place a piece of foil over the top of the pie and continue baking. Pie is done when the filling is bubbly, the topping and crust are golden brown, and the apples are tender (poke through the crumb topping with a fork if you’re not sure if it’s done – if it slides through the apple smoothly and easily, it’s done! Add a few more minutes at a time if the apples don’t feel tender enough. 8-Serve + store: Serve + store: Allow pie to cool at room temp for 2-3 hours before slicing and serving. Serve with more caramel sauce! Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. 9-Make ahead tips: Make ahead tips: Pie crust can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. If making the pie a day or two ahead, bake, let it cool completely, cover with foil, and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. You can re-warm it in the oven the day you plan to serve it, if desired, at 350°F, covered loosely with foil, for 12-20 minutes, until warmed through (stick an instant read thermometer into the center to check that it’s warm all the way through).
Last Step:
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